What Classes and Feats Should My Jedi Take?

[red5_5]

I want my Jedi to wield two lightsabers, and to be pretty good at force powers. My gamemaster lets us roll for abilities and this is what I got: Str 12, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 18, Wis 14, Chr 12. I just can't decide what feats and classes my Jedi should take. Thanks for your help!

red5_5

[Hal]

Originally posted by red5_5
I want my Jedi to wield two lightsabers, and to be pretty good at force powers. My gamemaster lets us roll for abilities and this is what I got: Str 12, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 18, Wis 14, Chr 12. I just can't decide what feats and classes my Jedi should take. Thanks for your help!

Assuming a first level human PC then the most obvious choice for class is Jedi Guardian with the feats Ambidexterity and Two Weapon Fighting. You have a high Int so the loss of skill points from Consular to Guardian isn't a big drop.

Control is likely to be the most useful force feat with a focus on the force skills - Enhance Ability, Battlemind and Heal Self. Most other force feats require you to gain a few levels.

Considering your low strength the Weapon Finesse Lightsaber is extremely useful as it essentially gives you a +2 to hit with both attacks. Weapon Focus Lightsaber will be useful with 2 Lightsabers as it grants a +1 bonus to both attacks.

[red5_5]

Thanks for the help this is really a big help with my character planning.

[red5_5]

Do you think that later on my character should get at least one of the Lightsaber Defense Feats?

[red5_5]

Adult Male Human, Jedi Guardian 10/Jedi Weapon Master 10; Init +4 (+4 Dex); Def 26 (+4 Dex, +12 Class); Spd 10m; VP/WP 164/10; Atk +21/+16/+11/+6 melee (1d3+1, punch), +24/+19/+14/+9 ranged (by weapon), +26/+21/+16/+11 melee * (7d8+3, crit 18-20, Lightsaber); SQ Deflect (Attack -2, Block, Defense +4, Extend Defense and Attack), Devastating Strike (Lightsaber), Increase Lightsaber damage +2d8, Increase Weapon Damage, Rapid Strike (Lightsaber), Weapon Specialization (Lightsaber); SV Fort +12, Ref +16, Will +13; SZ M; FP: 0; Rep: +8; Str 12, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 18, Wis 17, Cha 12.
Equipment: 400 credits, Lightsaber x2, Utility Belt [Jedi]
* has constructed his own Lightsaber.
Skills: Bluff +12, Craft (lightsaber) +8, Diplomacy +8, Gather Information +4, Intimidate +8, Jump +9, Knowledge (Jedi lore) +6, Move Silently +12, Read/Write Basic, Speak Barabel, Speak Basic, Speak Calamarian, Speak Huttese, Speak Shyriiwook (Understand Only), Tumble +12
Force Skills: Affect Mind +16, Battlemind +20, Enhance Ability +20, Force Defense +14, Force Stealth +16, Heal Self +20, Illusion +11, Move Object +20, See Force +4, Telepathy +5
Feats: Ambidexterity, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (lightsaber), Force-Sensitive, Heroic Surge, Improved Critical (Lightsaber), Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Two-weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse (Lightsaber), Weapon Focus (Lightsaber), Weapons Group Proficiency (blaster pistols, simple weapons)
Force Feats: Alter, Control, Force Mastery, Force Whirlwind, Knight Defense, Lightsaber Defense, Sense

How's this for a character? I am going to work towards this. Tell me what you think.

[Hal]

Originally posted by red5_5
How's this for a character? I am going to work towards this. Tell me what you think.

Looks fine to me. Some comments:

I recommend not planning out your PC from 1st level to 20th level. Enjoy have options and seeing how your PC grows in play. You never know they could be thrown out of the Jedi Order or even multiclass to something else etc. Having it planned out often means you live in the future and forsake the present.

The VP for this PC is way above average (8.1 on a d10) considering your low Con. It is much more likely to be 115 by my calculations.

Considering your PC is constructed purely for combat (with Guardian and Weapon Master classes only) having a low Con is not only going to mean you will have less access to force abilities (some important force abilities are derived from Con) but will also mean they will be taken out more easily. A WP of 10 is fragile at best, epsecially considering you won't be wearing armour. From a pure design POV your high Int is wasted. Though it does give you a lot of skill points, these are wasted as you are forced to spend them in areas where they aren't that helpful (e.g. Bluff 12+) due to skill caps. You would be much better off with Str 12, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 12, Chr 10 or putting the 16 in Con and 14 in Int. If you do go with a low Con look to increase it as you go up levels.

I also recommend taking Burst of Speed rather than say Force Whirlwind or one of your many other combat feats. As a primarily close combat fighter BoS is incredibly useful.

[red5_5]

Ok thanks for the help! I will look into some of the things you suggested.

[Jim Williams]

Of course, a high Bluff is good for the Feint manuever. Especially if you can talk your GM into adopting the Modern d20 feat: Improved Feint. I can post a link because I'm at work, but you can find the feat write up for Improved Feint at the Wizards.com site under their open gaming license area.

[Ravager_of_worlds]

and don't overlook the value in that 18 for Int- very useful to get the skill rank prerequisites for prestige classes. while the Jedi Scholar and Jedi Healer don't seem like a natural progression for a jedi guardian, they are in consideration of the right player. remember anakin? he may be a combat monster but he wished he had the power to bring his mother back. something similar to this might serve as a reason for studying Healer or Scholar ("I just didn't know enough about the Force"). Even if for just two levels, these prestige classes can add a lot of flavor to an otherwise pure combat machine.

i'd stick with the original stats, since that's what you rolled, and just upgrade the Con at each 4th, 8th, etc. level. starting with a high Con is not necessarily advisable long term since the Con modifiers are retrograde in terms of vitality- but Int for skill points is not. You can easily be a MacGuyver of Jedis who uses his brains instead of his toughness to win.

also- jedi guardian up 5th level is also acceptible for a final draft of a character up to 20th level. and never rule out the temptation to become a "Jedi Master" sometime in the mix. though the prestige class is a little on the weak side in terms of SQs, there's something great about having the acknowledgement of being a master. otherwise, yer just a footsoldier of a force using paramilitary group...

[red5_5]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will have to look up the improved feint feat.

[Ardent]

Unless you intend to throw your Weapon Master into the political arena, the +12 Bluff is a waste.

Most opponents a Jedi Knight is likely to encounter have very low ranks in Sense Motive, so even +5 or +6 Bluff can be enough to fool them.

I'm also not really a fan of going all 10 levels as a JWM, for two reasons: one, Mace Windu is the JWM NPC above 7th, and he's only JWM9. Two: the class isn't worth it after 6th IMHO. The SQs aren't as valuable as they seem to someone in the 15-20th level range.

[red5_5]

What classes do you suggest that my character should take if I want him to be equally good at combat and using the force. I don't want to make him too combat oriented. I also want him to do some cool stuff with the force. You can give any classes you want, but I want him to be able to use two lightsabers. Thanks for any suggestions.

[red5_5]

You can put these scores into any attributes: 10, 12, 12, 14, 16, 18.
Thanks!

[ironwolf56]

Originally posted by Ardent
Unless you intend to throw your Weapon Master into the political arena, the +12 Bluff is a waste.

Most opponents a Jedi Knight is likely to encounter have very low ranks in Sense Motive, so even +5 or +6 Bluff can be enough to fool them.

I'm also not really a fan of going all 10 levels as a JWM, for two reasons: one, Mace Windu is the JWM NPC above 7th, and he's only JWM9. Two: the class isn't worth it after 6th IMHO. The SQs aren't as valuable as they seem to someone in the 15-20th level range.

I disagree, the reason Weapon Master even has the Bluff skill as class is for feint attacks, which I've found are VERY nice.

[Ardent]

Originally posted by ironwolf56
I disagree, the reason Weapon Master even has the Bluff skill as class is for feint attacks, which I've found are VERY nice.

Yeah, but you only need +5 or +6 to beat most opponents Sense Motive rolls (unless you roll horribly, in which case you should have failed IMHO), which was my point.

My character has +12 Bluff, but he uses it on the social arena more than in the combat arena. Obviously, he almost never fails a feint, but that's kind of moot. If he were a straight combat character (as this one is probably going to be) he wouldn't NEED that many ranks.